Method of and means for effecting the combination of gases.



' lifecting the 'and the mixture ispassed through H1331' "WNN'E, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSGNOR. TO

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMlANY, A CORPORATON OlE NEW YORK.

ianrnoii or .ann Manns ron EFFECTNG THE COMBINATION OF GASES.

specification of :teneis raient.

Patented Dec. 223, illlii.

ihtfQdf. Y

Application filed October 20, 19H5. Serial No. 796,128.

To all whom t may cof/mera.'

`Be it known that l, ROY VViNNii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectadyfcounty of Schenectady', State of New York', have invented certain new and useful improvements in Methods o'f and Means for Combination of Gases, of which the following is a specification. My present invention relates to. an improved method for effecting the combination of two or more gases and more especially to a method for isolating the nitrogen ot' the air by causing the oxygen to imite with some other gas t form a product which may more easily be separated from the nitrogen, and means for carrying out this method. Numerous methods have been devised heretofore for accomplishing this result but the gas obtained commercially, unless prepared or purilied by expensive complicated processes, contains an appreciable amount of oxygen, usually at least five per cent. For certain purposes the presence ofv as much as five per cent. of oxygen renders the nitrogen absolutely useless. By my method, however, l am able to secure nitrogen containing less than one half of one per cent. of oxygen. rl`his small amount is not enough to seriously depreciate the gas for common commercial use. lf it is desired to have nitrogen absolutely free from oxy en the small percentage of oxygen remaining may of course be removed by well known chemical means.

@ne common method in use orisolating the nitrogen consists in burning out the oxygen of the air by means of a liame ot' hydrogen or other suitable reducing'gas. By this method it is exceedingly dii'i'icult to regulate the flame so as to prevent it from going out at times. As a result whenever the iiame goes out a certain amountof uncombined gas passes through into the receiver. By another' process the air and gas are mixed at the junction of tw tubes before heating a fui'- nace heated to a tempe 'ature at which the two gases will combine. By my invention however the 'two gases are heated to a teinperature at which combination will take place and then mixed, and as a result l secure a p 'actically perfect combination of the oxygen with the reducing gas, if a sulicient amount of gas is supplied. y

While my invention is especially useful in the process described for isolating the nitrogen of the air it is by no means limited to this particular process but is of great utility in effecting the combination of any two or more gases which will com biiie with each other when brought into contact at a yhigh temperature.

ln its broader aspect my invention comprises the ilse oi' a porous diaphragm provided with means for initially bringing it to a temperature at which the gases will combine. 'l`lie heat of the diaphragm is then communicated to the gases and they are brought into Contact with each other at or near the suriace of the diaphragm. Pret'- erably one of the gases is brought through the-pores oi the diapliiaginin orderto insure that it will be heated to the desired temperature before it can come iii contact with the other gas or gases; that is, one

gas may be heated by passing through the diaphragm while the other is heated b v` contact with the heated surface or bythe radiation of heat therefrom. ln some cases the heat liberated by the combination of the gases will be suilicient to maintain the diaphragm rt the required temperature after the reaction has once been started and as long as the gases are continuously supplied in the proper ouantilics. ln case the heat liberated in this way is not suliicient, however, the operation of the initial heat supplying means may be made continuous.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which l have shown onel convenient torni oi apparatus for carrying out my method and in which- Figure l` is an elevation partly broken away to show the interior construction., of

.the furnace which l use, and Fig. is a cross section on the line X-X of Fig. l.

The iurnace which l ilse in'cai'rying out .my process comprises an air tight easing l through which passes a tube prcterably of alunduin. This is especially suitable because of the fact that as nell as being porous it is highly refractory. Around the central portion ot' the tube there is wound a heating element 3 consisting' oi' a wire of platinum, tungsten or other refractory metal. 'The end portions of the tube not covered by the heating element well asthose portions covered by a Jfew of the end turns of the wire are rendered nonporous by glazing '-1-' or by a coating oi nonpoi'ous cement. The

cry:

ISG

l hydrogen.

connection betr/veen the outside of the tube and the casing is mede air tight et one end by ,ineens of nonporous cement 5, While et the other end e flexible 'tube G is slipped over the projecting portion 7 of the casing und the end of the. alundum tube in order to hilos' for expansion and contraction of the tube. The terminals 8 of the heating element muy be brought out through the cement used to make the oir tight. connections et the ends of the urnuce. Air muy be led into the furnace through the pipe 9, the end 1G of the tube being closed by n Winder.1 through which the interior of the tube may be inspected. rlhe space between thevtube und the iron casing is 'filled with Sonie granular noirconducting medium 1l such as course send. A reducing ges, preferably hydrogen., is supplied to this space by means of the pipe i2 connected to the top ot the casing. f

-ihe sand filling 'around the tube prevents any danger of explosion of the hydrogen ond the reducing atmosphere enables me use es e, hosting element metals such tungsten which would oxidize rapidly brought. to e high heet inA the presence oxygen.'

The operation of this, device. is asfollows: rThe interior of the tube Within the heating element is irst brought to the desired temperoture, preferably '800 to 900 degrees C., when hydrogen is used end hydrogen is dinitted through the pipe l2. rlhis penetrates the porous filling within the casing und the porous portion of the tube, entering the tubeonly in that section which has been raised to a high temperature. It then unites 'with the oxygen of the sir which is allowed to flow in through the pipe 9, form! ing water-vapor. 'The pressure ot 'the vAincoming air and hydrogen may be so regulated that enough hydrogen will be supplied to combine with all the oxygen of the air which is allowed to pass through. The resulting mixture which consists almost entirely of nitrogen, und water vapor passes from the furnace through. the outlet 13 and may then be subjected to any of the well lniownmethods for removing any excess hydrogen, or traces of oxygen and the Water vupor. For example, the excess hydrogen and Water Vapor may be removed by e method similar to that described in Roscoe and Schorlemniers Treatise on C'zemz'sry, vol. "l, 3rd edition (.1905), pp. 278, 281, in` which heated copper oxid is used for producing Water Vapor by combination with Any remaining traces of oxygen may be removed by the method de` scribed at pp. 488489., of the above-inenticned book in which heated copper is em ployed for separating oxygen from nitroind it'convenint to combine these two methods. Upon cooling 4the gaseous es it of i mixture' the Wai/ter vapor condensee end the ideeen@ rernfinin,fr ges muy then be passed through o highly heated tube containing in one cuil copper oxid, und in the' other end copper. .if there is any hydrogen it will reduce the copper oXid and form water vapor. und if Aof the tube in the form of i tine jet or spruy und both the hydrogen and the oir ure raised to uniformly high temperature before coming-in contact with euch other, thus insuring e perfect. mixture und combination of the oxygen of the oir with the hydrogen. While l have described the operation of my device for the purposeoii isolating the nitrogen of the air with hydrogen os the reducing gas, it is obvious that other reducing gases may be used for this purpose with similar results and that the same apparatus might equully Well be employed for effecting the combination orother gases thun. those mentioned. It will also be understood that the form of apparatus which I have shown and described is merely illustrative and that o. greet variety of modifications thereof' muy be made Without' departing from the scope of my invention.

What l claim as new .and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is :l--

l. The method ofisoluting the nitrogen of the air, which consists in seperately heuting uir and :i reducing gas to a high tcm the forni of e line spray such as would he .l f produced by the passage or the gas through :i

porous body, and then separating th'e products of the combination from the nitrogen.

2. The method of isolating the nitrogen of the air, which consists in separately heut ing hir und e reducing gus to :i high temperature by Contact with e. heated porous body, bringing the air and reducing gus into contzict with euch other after they ure heated by causing one of them to poss through the porous body and then separating the products of the combinrition from the nitrogen.

3. The method of isolating the nitrogen of the air, which consists in separately heating air and hydrogen to e high temperature causing the hydrogen to come into Contact with the air zitter being heated in the torni of o fine spray such es would be pitiduced by the passage of the hydrogen through a porous body and then separating the prd,

lil?

, assegna tion of two or more gases, which consists in separately heating; the gases to a high temperature and causing one of the gases to come into contact with the other gas or gases ailter being heated in the 'form of a line.

spray such as would be produced by the passage of the'gas througha porous body.

The method olf isolating the nitrogen of the air, which consists in simultaneously and separately heating air and a 'reducing gas to a temperature'at W-hich \they `will combine causing`A thesreducing gas to`co1ne in contact 'with the air after both are hiaten in the form o'lf' a line spray such as would be produced by passing through a porous body 'and then se'rmratinnr the products ot' the combination trom the nitrogen. i

o. The methodot isolating' the nitrogen-of the air, which consists in simultaneously and separately heating air and hydrogen vby contact with a heated porous body ton ternperature at which they will combine, mixing the air with the hydrogen after both are heated by` causing one ot them to pass throun'h the porous body and then separatinp; the products or the combination from the nitrogen. i

7. The method of effecting; the combination of two or more gases Which consists'in heating4 the ,gases separately and simultaneously to ay `temperature at which combination will taire place and then causing 'one of the to come into contact with the other gas or rases in the form or' a tine spray such as would be produced by the of the fas through a porous body.

S. Means 'for isolating the nitrogen ot the air consisting; ot a porous Wall furnace, means for sui'iplying' air to the furnace? means for heating the Wall of the furnace, means for supplying a reducing gas through the porous wall of the ltiunace and means *for separating( the products of the union of air with' the reducing lll'eans Alor isohitini;f the Vnitrogen ot the air comprising a cylindrical casing? a porous tube passing axially through said casing, a hermine'V element surroundingv said tube? a connection 'for passing: air into cdnnection 'tor supplying' a reducing' 2(ras to the space Within the cylinder surrounding said tube and a connect-ion 'for carrying away the products of the union ot' the air with the reducing gas.

'lt. Means for isolating' .the nitrogen of the air comprising a cylindrical casing, a tube a portion oli the length oil Which is porous, passing" axially through said casing; and sealed to the ends of the casing7 a heatinfrv element surrounding' the porous portion ot the tube', a filling; of granular non-conducting; material. between the exterior ofthe tube and the Wall of the casino;j a. connection for supplying; air to the 'tubej'a connection for supplying a reducing gas'to the i said. tube, a

granular filling', and a connection for carrying away the products of the union of the air With the reducing,- gas.

1l. Means for effecting a combination of two or more gases comprising a porous diaphragm, electrical means for .initially heating` said diaphragm to a temperature at which the gases will combine, means for bringing at least one of the gases to the heated surface oi the diaphragm through the pores thereof and means for carrying away the products of the combination ot' the gases.

l2. Means for effecting a combination ot two or more gases comprising a porous dia phragm, means for supplying a gasto one side of' the diaphragm, means for passing; r second gas through the diaphragm from the opposite side, means Jfor initially heating the diaphragm to. a temljierature at which the two =gases will combine and means for carrying awa-y the products of the combination ot the gases.

13. Means for isolating the nitrogen of the air comprising a heated porousfhody, means for simultaneously bringing' air and a reducing gas separately into contact with said heated body to heat them to a high temperan ture, means forcausing the reducing' gas to pass through the pores in the body to come in Contact with the air in the form of anne spray after being; heated and means for Separating the products of the combination from the nitrogen. v

14. Means for isolating the nitrogen of the air comprising a heated porous body, means for simultaneously bringing air and a reducinggas separately into contact with said heated body to heat them to a high temperature, means tor bringing the air and reducing gas into Contact With each other atterbeing heated and means for separat ing;- the products of the combination from the nitrogen,

l5. Means tor isolating the nitrogen of the air comprising a heated porous body, means for bringing air and hydrogen separately into contact with said heated body to heat them to a high temperature, means for causing the hydrogen to pass through the pores `01E-the body so as to come into contact with the air in the Jform of a fine spray after being heated and means for separating the products or the combination from the nitrogen.

i6. Means 'for eectinp,r the vcon'ibination of two or more gases, comprising a heated porous body, means for bringing said gases separately into contact with said heated body to heat them to hightemperature and means for causingone of said gases to pass through the "pores ot said'body to bring' 'it into Contact With the other gas or gases in the form' oi aiine spray after beingn heated.

17. Means for eecting the combination of 'two or more gases comprising a heated posaid beaded body to beet them to e temperature :x which eolnbinatien will take phiee and means vor causing one of the gases to pass tbiongn the poes of Said body to bring" it ino eontzie; with the other gas or gases in form oi :i fine spiey' after being-heated. iteans for isolating the nitrogen of the en' eompiising a heated porous body, means for s/.imnizznieonsy bxinging ei and n. redueing;1 gzis s-epaiaeiy into Contact With said heated body, me for mixing the air with Ehe reducing alei both are heated and means for separating; the/products of the Combination freni the nitogen.

19. Means for isoiating the niiogen'of the f zur eomprisinffa 1rie-ated porous body, means for simultaneously bringing nii' and hydrogen/seperately Ainto Contact with sind heated Lies f combination. from the nitrogen.

20. Means for isolating #be nitrogen of ifi-i5; nir comprising :i` porous body; inerme {f1- heat-ng said body, ineens; oi' bringing?? :mf inte Contact with one ein body fio hea it to o bi" i bonn)@mim-e :imi means for simnitaneoi ly musing :s winning; gils to pes through the pores o1' .wid body to heut it to e high tempeizi'in'e :md mi i it to come in commet Wiii the siii' in ne um .of a ine spray.

Witnesses R. C. ROBINSON, HELEN ORFORD.

ieee off sind noxious i 

